Well it’s been a busy time on the baby front this year in the incubation room, not only with number of youngsters but also new species of babies to work with.

Young Harris' Hawk

The first of the familiar species to hatch were 4 Harris’ Hawks which were bred by one of our Trustees. Their female hawk, Freya is the daughter of Witch, a really nice mannered Harris’ we had here for many years. Witch passed away a few years ago, but it’s really nice that we can keep her blood line going.

This year the decision was taken to crèche rear the baby Harris’ Hawks. They were to be hatched out in an incubator and then kept within sight of each other so that they would recognise that the falconers feeding and caring for them were a different species! This would then prevent the hawks becoming imprinted on us.

Freya laid four eggs; three of them we took and the fourth was left with her to hatch out and rear. The first egg hatched on 15th April and was named Josie Wales; Cedric has trained this hawk. The next to hatch was named Bonney after William H Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, on the 16th April and has been trained by Paul. Last but not least, on the 18th April a male Harris’ Hawk was hatched and he was given the name Doc, after Doc Holiday. He was a little weak upon hatching and so was given liquid synulox, an antibiotic, for the first few days of his life; he has now been trained by Jane. The egg we left with Freya and Oz was successfully hatched and parent reared and she has now joined the team. As yet unnamed, she is currently being trained by Paul.

More good news on the Harris’ front, Freya and Oz the first time parents have double clutched, which means they have produced a second lot of eggs. If all goes well these hawks will also be joining the Trust’s team of Harris’ hawks.

Yellow-billed kite just after hatching	Juvenile yellow-billed kite

From the staff’s point of view the most exciting hatching this year was probably that of the Yellow-billed Kites. The parents produced 2 eggs which we hatched out in the incubator, then there was more good news when these parents also double clutched with another 2 eggs! We again took these eggs, and replaced them with a young hawk, ensuring that these new parent birds had something to rear.

The first 2 eggs hatched on the 31st May and 1st June.

The first to hatch was named Johnny Ringo and is being trained by Gary, the second one has yet to be named and is being trained by Gareth.

The second clutch of eggs hatched on the 2nd and 5th June and these kites have been named Jessie and Frank James, after the most famous outlaws in America.

The first of the owls to be hatched out appeared on the 6th June. He was named Dick Turpin, a Burrowing Owl, and is being trained by Kim (who takes him home in his little carry box to watch TV with her). The other owl is slightly bigger, a beautiful Snowy Owl who hatched on the 12th June. Jimmy has named him Sweeny Todd and is currently training him.

Burrowing Owl Dick Turpin	Snowy Owl Sweeny Todd	Sweeny Todd aged about six weeks

Hopefully all these birds will be appearing in demonstrations or experience days in the future.